Skiing near Barcelona. Where to ski?

Ski resorts and ski areas. Best places to ski near Barcelona in Pyrenees mountains.

Updated January 2019

Ski resorts near Barcelona

The 2018/19 ski season news. In mid January 2019 there was a large amount of snowfall in the Catalan and Andorran Pyrenees so all ski resorts in Andorra and Catalan/Spanish pyrenees are open and have good snow.

There are many ski resorts near Barcelona where you see snow and enjoy snowboarding and skiing. Barcelona is quite close to many Spanish and Andorran resorts near Barcelona that offer great skiing from the end of November until end March or beginning of April.

The top ski areas that are popular for 1 day skiing trips from Barcelona are ski stations Masella, La Molina both about 1.5 to 2 hours from Barcelona in the Pre-Pyrenees mountain range of Spain.

The top ski areas that are popular for 1 day skiing trips from Barcelona are ski stations Masella, La Molina both about 1.5 to 2 hours from Barcelona in the Pre-Pyrenees mountain range of Spain. Also popular is the large ski resort Grandvalira in Andorra in the Pyrenees.

Masella and La Molina are 2 hours from Barcelona by car or bus and La Molina can also be reached by ski bus or ski train from Barcelona.

Grandvalira is 3 hours from Barcelona by car. There are more ski stations and ski areas both in the Catalan and French Pyrenees near Barcelona.

The Catalan Pyrenees ski resorts near Barcelona have big and modern ski areas which are good value for money.

Skiing near Barcelona can start as early as the end of November and continue up to mid April.

All ski stations near Barcelona have snow cannons on up to 50% of the pistes, so the skiing is fine for day-trips or weekend trips even when there is little natural snow.

To get a quick overview of the snow situation in the Spanish ski resorts and Andorra check out this webpage of Spanish ski webcamsThere are 14 alpine ski resorts near Barcelona in the Catalan and French Pyrenees mountains. The closest to Barcelona are ski stations of La Molina, La Masella which are in Spain and just 2 hours by car or train from Barcelona.

Andorra is a separate country near Barcelona, but not in the EU or Schengen zone. It is bordered by Spain and France.

There are two big ski areas in Andorra, called Grandvalira and Vallnord. The driving times for skiing from Barcelona to these resorts vary from just 3 to 4 hours. The biggest and best ski resort near Barcelona is Baqueira-Beret ski resort, which is just over 4 hours by car from Barcelona.

Generally the skiing resorts close to Barcelona have great snow, uncrowded pistes and short lift queues.

The Eastern pyrenees have 300 days of sunshine a year so when the snow has fallen generally the weather is sunny and nice for skiing. Prices are comparable to the Alps or a bit cheaper.

The Spanish resorts have high altitudes and a low tree line, so there are many free ride trails and off piste runs to enjoy. Another benefit of skiing in the Pyrenees is that the pistes are much less crowded, so no morning lift queues.

The after-ski scene is generally much quieter than the Alps. This makes skiing in Spain perfect for beginners, families and serious skiers.

If you want a lively apres-ski scene, then the Andorran resorts are probably your best bet with many UK skiers and a lively nightlife scene, particulary in Pas de la Casa, which is in the GrandValira area.

Be aware that smoking is still allowed in most bars and restaurants in Andorra, so while the skiing is good the after-ski can be cloudy!

The ski season in Barcelona starts at end of November if there is enough snow. Generally many ski resorts near Barcelona are open before Christmas and many hope to be open in late November in preparation for the "puente" public holidays in Spain on 6th and 8th December.

So if you want some early skiing, then check our ski resort listings to see when the ski lifts are open and how many ski lifts are operational. All the big resorts have snow cannons throughout the resort, so you can still go skiing, even if the fields on each side of the piste are sometimes bare.

Closest ski resorts to Barcelona

The ski stations of La Molina, La Masella and Port del Comte are only 2 hours by car or train from Barcelona.

They are fantastic for a day trip or even a half day trip. La Molina has a "ski-tren" package which includes train and ski-pas (forfait), which you can buy at Renfe railway stations in Barcelona.

The skiing is excellent and if you can go to these ski resorts on weekdays, then you will have it all to yourself. At weekends it does get more crowded, but generally not as long lift lines as in the alps.

SKI bus/ski pack La Molina/MasellaThere are many other very good ski resorts close to Barcelona and most are between two and four hours drive. The biggest and most exclusive resort near Barcelona is Baqueira-Beret. Baqueira-Beret is a bit far for a 1 day ski trip from Barcelona, but has great skiing for longer stays. Baqueira-Beret is around four hours drive time from Barcelona and is in 'El Pirineo de Lleida' part of the Pyrenees.

If you are looking for a ski station with both Alpine and Nordic cross country skiing then Baqueira Beret is a very good choice.

Tavascan has limited alpine skiing. Visit our ski directory to find a list of the skiing resorts near Barcelona. Each listing includes driving times, webcams, snow reports, piste maps, hotels and links to the ski station websites.

Useful Barcelona skiing websites

For Barcelona residents looking for 1 day skiing trips or weekend skiing trips near Barcelona that include ski-pass hotel and transport, the best option is often to visit Spanish travel agents. They offer daytrips and weekend skiing packages by coach to the resorts in the Pyrenees. The travel agency websites are usually not in English however.